BY AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

NAIROBI, April 30 - Nine top prison commandants have been suspended for links to a strike that paralysed the country’s major jails, an official said on Wednesday.

The nine, charged on Monday with inciting thousands of warders to join the strike last week, will remain suspended until their trial is determined, the official told AFP.

They were charged for insubordination and appeared before the Nairobi Chief Magistrate Gilbert Mutembei but were released on a cash bail of Sh20,000 each and ordered to report to the Investigating officer whenever required.

Their case will be heard on May 2.

Warders resumed work on Monday after the government agreed to give them a 5,000-shilling monthly risk allowance, similar to one recently awarded to police, as well as improved living and working conditions.

During the near two-week strike, the prison guards were also asking to be issued with official uniforms which they said they had not received for over 10 years.

In addition, warders who were commandeered by overstretched police services during the country’s post-electoral violence earlier this year were handed a one-off bonus of 10,000 shillings each.

There were however, reports that capital offenders serving life sentences at Kamiti were threatening to stage a sit-in to demand the payment of their monthly allowances of Sh60, paid to prisoners serving long sentences.

The officers had paralysed operations in all the 89 penitentiaries in the country since Monday, prompting the government to act on their demands.

“The government has noted with concern the demands made by the warders. As a result, they will be awarded Sh10,000 for their work during the elections, Sh5,000 risk allowance, uniforms will be issued immediately and a housing development project will be accelerated,” Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka had said on Monday.

The government’s action followed threats by the warders to free criminals jailed for various offences including murder, rape and robbery with violence.

“The government has met their demands halfway. We look forward to implement the remaining part in due course. We expect them to resume duty,” Musyoka said.

And he warned that stern action would be taken against warders and senior prison officers who may have played a role, either directly or indirectly, in accelerating the strike.

Courtesy of;http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/Local/Top-prison-officials-suspended.html